Box closure



1956 s. L. MAXWELL 3,265,282

BOX CLOSURE Filed Aug. 3, 1964 INVENTOR STUART L. MAXWELL BY/dd/fzzATTORNEYS United States Patent .0

3,265,282 BUX CLCdURE Stuart lL. Maxwell, 727 Dayton fit, Muskogee,Ukla. Filled Aug. 3, i964, Ser. No. 387,077 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-7) Thisinvention relates to a box closure. More particularly, the inventionrelates to a box having closure means. Still more particularly, theinvention relates to a box including means for closing an opening in theside thereof and more particularly yet the invention pertains to aninvention of the combination of a box, such as a pasteboard box, havingeither an opening or means for forming an opening in one side near thetop thereof, with a closure means aflixed to the top of the box wherebythe opening may be sealably closed.

Many types of boxes, particularly card-board boxes and especially boxesof the type containing containing cereal, soap and so forth, areprovided with means of forming an opening in the side of the box nearthe top so that the contents of the box may be poured out. Usually suchboxes are rectangular in cross section and have a punched outline of anopening near the top in one of the narrow sides. The user, in order todischarge the contents of the box, by thumb pressure or the like, pushesout the opening which forces a hinged tab to the interior of the boxforming an opening so that the contents may be discharged from the boxby tilting the box in the direction of the opening.

While this type of means of providing an opening in a box is completelysatisfactory in many respects, one of the difiiculties is that after theopenings is punched out there is no means of subsequently sealing thebox. The contents of a box exposed to free air circulation deterioratefaster. Having open boxes on hand is especially serious when such typeof boxes are used for cereal or other edible contents. Typically acereal box, as utilized by most families, is opened when first used andmay be kept in a kitchen cabinet for several weeks before the totalcontents are utilized. During this time the box, being open, is exposedto infestation by a variety of insects, and even rodents.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improvedclosure means for a box. More particularly, it is an object of thisinvention to provide a box having a closure means for closing an openingin one of the upper sides thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a box and a closure meansfor closing an opening in one of the sides thereof in a manner such thatthe opening is easily and completely sealably closed to preserve thequality of the contents and prevent the entrance into the interior ofthe box of insects, rodents or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a box including a closuremeans affixed to the top thereof of elastic plastic material or the liketo close an opening in the side of the box in a manner such that thefreshness of the contents is preserved and the entrance of insects orrodents in the box is prevented.

These and other objects will be fulfilled and a better understanding ofthe invention will be had by referring to the following description andclaim, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of the closure means of thisinvention afiixed to a box, the closure means being shown in the openposition.

FIGURE 2 is an isometric external view of the closure means of thisinvention affixed to a box as the closure means is in the closedposition.

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of the closure means of this invention inthe open position as the box is tilted for discharge of contentstherefrom.

Eidiifig Patented August 1966 ice This invention may be described as aclosure means for a box. More particularly, but not by way oflimitation, the invention may be described as a combination of (1) a boxhaving a rectangular top and means forming an opening in one of thenarrow sides adjacent to the top, and

(2) a unitary closure member for the opening, the closure member beingof flexible elastic plastic material, the closure means having (a) aflat portion substantially of the width of the box top ariixed to thebox top such as by adhesive in the area of the box top opposite the sideof the box having the opening therein, and

(b) a four sided closure portion having (1) a top portion of width equalto the box top, the top portion being integral with the flat portion,the juncture of the top portion and the flat portion serving as a hinge,

(2) opposed triangular side portions and (3) an end portion, the foursides conforming to the top corner of the box when the closure member isin closed position, the end portion completely covering the opening inthe box.

Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGURE 1, the closure member,generally indicated by the numeral ill, is affixed to the top of a box,generally indicated by the numeral 12. The closure member ill ispreferably of plastic material and is so shown in cross section. Thematerial of which the closure member lit is preferably constructed isany type of thin flexible material having a degree of elasticity. Theclosure member 10 is shown affixed to box 12 by means of a coating ofadhesive 14, shown in cross section. The adhesive 14 is somewhatexaggerated in thickness for purposes of clarity.

The box 12 is of the typical type of paper or cardboard box in whichmany products for commercial and domestic consumption are packaged anddistributed. The box 12 is typically of cardboard and is rectangular incross section having opposing sides 16 which are narrower than thecorresponding opposite sides 18. The top it? of the box is normallyclosed.

Provided in one of the narrow sides 16 adjacent to top 20 is a means forproviding an opening 22 in the box so that the contents may bedischarged. The most typical means of providing such opening 22 is toprovide a notched outline in the box so that the purchaser, upon firstuse, may punch out a portion of the box to form a hinged portion 24. Inthe usual arrangement the opening 22 remains open and thereby permitsthe entrance into the box of the free circulation of air, insects andeven rodents. This invention provides means of sealably closing theopening 2 2 when the box is not in use.

The closure member 14 includes a fiat portion 26 substantially of thewidth of the box and ailixed to the top 2th of the box, such as by meansof adhesive 14, in the area of the box top opposite the side of the boxhaving the opening 22 therein. The other basic portion of the unitaryclosure member includes a four sided closure portion generally indicatedby the numeral 28. The four sided closure portion 28 includes a topportion 28A of width equal to the box top, the top portion 28A beingintegral with the flat portion 26. The juncture of the top portion 28Awith the flat portion 26 forms a hinge 39. The other portions of thefour sided closure portion 28 include opposed triangular side portions2$B (only one of which is shown in the cross-sectional view of FIGURE1), and an end portion 280. The four sided closure portion 28, when themember is in closed position, conforms to the top corner of the box 12in such a way that the end portion 28C seala'bly covers the opening 22in the box.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the closure member is shown in closedposition about the box 12 which is shown in dotted outline. In this viewthe flap 24 of the box 12 is shown in the position as it appears whenthe box is sold to the ultimate consumer and before the hinged portion24 has been forced into the box to form the opening 22. FIGURE 2 showsthe closure member as it would appear when the box having this inventionaffixed thereto is received by the purchaser. By this invention theopening 22 in the box is closed in two ways, that is by the hingedportion 24 and by the closure member 10.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the box with the closure member is shown as inuse. In this view the four sided closure portion 28 has been raisedexposing the flap portion 24. The flap portion 24 has been punched outexposing the opening 22. The box 12 is shown in a tilted position as thecontents therein would be discharged through opening 22. After therequired contents are discharged, the box is set uprightly and the foursided closure portion 23 is pulled back down onto the box to close theopening 22.

As shown in all the views integrally affixed to the end portion 28C is atab 32 which provides easy means of raising and lowering the four sidedclosure portion 23.

In the preferred embodiment the four sided closure portion 28 is soformed that in the open position the angle between the top portion 28Aand the end portion 28C, indicated by the letter A in FIGURE 1, is lessthan 90. That is, the opposing triangular portions 28B are so formedthat in the open position they contract the end portion 28C but, due tothe elasticity of the material composing the closure member 10, when thefour sided closure portion 23 is pulled down onto the box 12 theelasticity thereof permits the closure member to stretch in such a waythat the end portion 28C is pulled into sealing engagement with the box12 to sealably close the opening 22.

It is acknowledged that others have provided various closure means forclosing openings in boxes. The distinguishing characteristic of thisinvention is the provision of means whereby the opening is sealablyclosed achieved by the combination of the configuration of the closuremember formed of a material having a degree of elasticity. Without suchelasticity and the configuration wherein the normal angle between thetop portion 28A and the end portion 28C is less than 90 the opening 12of the box will not be sealed.

While this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in thedetails of construction and the arrangement of components withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

What is claimed is:

The combination of (l) a box having a rectangular top and means formingan opening in one of the narrow sides adjacent the top; and

(2) a unitary closure member, the closure member being of flexibleelastic plastic material, the closure member defined by (a) a fiatportion substantially of the width of the box top affixed to the box topsuch as by an adhesive in the area of the box top opposite the side ofthe box having the opening therein, and b) a four sided closure portionhaving (1) a top portion of width equal to the box top, the top portionbeing integral with the flat portion, the juncture of the top portionand the flat portion serving as a hinge, and

(2) opposed triangular side portions,

(3) an end portion, the four sides conforming to the top corner of thebox when in closed position, the end portion completely and sealablycovering the opening in the box,

(4) the triangular side portions are normally of dimension wherein theangle formed between the top portion and the end portion is less thanand (5) a finger flap portion integrally afiixed to the end portion atthe lower edge thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH R.LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner.

